A top Indian politician has claimed that he has captained former India skipper Virat Kohli during his playing career and had to quit cricket due to fractured ligaments.
Former India skipper Virat Kohli is one of the most successful captains that the country has ever seen. But the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) himself had played under a top politician from India. Rashtriya Janta Dal (RJD) leader Tejaswi Yadav, son of former Bihar Chief Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav, claimed that he had captained Kohli during his brief cricketing career.
Tejaswi’s statement soon went viral on social media with fans posting Tejaswi’s pictures in Indian Premier League (IPL) team Delhi Daredevils (now Delhi Capitals) jersey and others posting pictures of Kohli with the politician.
However the former Bihar deputy CM Tejashwi isn’t happy that his cricketing career has been totally forgotten despite him being an impressive player during his active days in the domestic cricket. In fact, the political leader also claimed that many of the current players in the Indian cricket team used to be his teammates.
“I was a cricketer and no one talks about it. Virat Kohli played in my captaincy -did anyone ever talk about it? Why don’t they do so? As a professional, I played a good cricket. Many Team India players are my batchmates. I had to quit as my both ligaments were fractured. Let it be,” Tejaswi Yadav was quoted as saying by Zee Media during an interview.
“Virat Kohli player under my captaincy”
~ Tejashwi Yadavpic.twitter.com/MKjePwSRxh
— Cricketopia (@CricketopiaCom) September 14, 2024
Tejashwi played a total of 1 first-class match, 2 List A and 4 T20 matches in his career. He represented Jharkhand in domestic cricket, making his FC debut against Vidarbha in November 2009. His two List A outings came against Tripura and Orissa in February 2010. All four of his T20 appearances came in Dhanbad, against Orissa, Assam, Bengal and Tripura.
He was DC blood now i get to know why dc doesn’t win any trophy till now 😂 pic.twitter.com/sAywqrtZfZ
— Harsh shekhawat (@wordofshekhawat) September 14, 2024
He led him back then pic.twitter.com/FkPJz2rcV1
— _sankasm_ (@MasutiSanket) September 14, 2024
Apart from this Tejaswi was also contracted by the Delhi Daredevils (now Delhi Capitals) in the IPL 2008 season. He remained on the bench for the franchise from 2008 to 2012, not playing a single game for the franchise.
The 34-year-old politician served as the Minister of Health and Family Welfare, Minister of Road Construction and Public Works Department, Minister of Urban Development and Housing as well as the Minister of Rural Works and Development in the Bihar Government. A member of the Bihar Legislative Assembly from Raghopur Assembly constituency since 2015, Tejaswi leads the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) —the single largest political party in the state of Bihar, and is the chairperson of the Mahagathbandhan alliance, the coalition currently in Opposition.
Tejaswi was part of the Under-15 and Under-17 Delhi teams during his cricket career. In fact, he debuted for the U-15 team at the time when Virat Kohli was their captain!
The Under-15 Delhi team featuring Tejaswi Yadav won the national title and the RJD leader was involved in a match-winning partnership with former India pacer Ishant Sharma. Tejaswi dropped out of school – Delhi Public School, RK Puram – in Class X to pursue a sports career and was eventually selected in U-17 and U-19 cricket team of Delhi. He was also selected in the list of standby players for the Under-19 Cricket World Cup, later in the year as well.